The present invention relates to a discharge device for discharging sausage-shaped products, like sausages, comprising suspension elements, like loops, from a discharge end of a clipping machine to a handling device for said sausage-shaped products.
In particular, the present invention relates to a discharge device for discharging sausage-shaped products, like sausages, comprising suspension elements, like loops, from a discharge end of a clipping machine to a handling device for said sausage-shaped products, the discharge device comprises first guide means for said suspension elements, having a first and a second end as well as an upper guide surface and two side surfaces and extending from the discharge end of said clipping machine towards the handling device, second guide means arranged at said side surfaces and extending at least approximately between the first and second end of said first guide means.
In practice, it is known that, for example in the production of sausage-shaped products, like sausages, a filling material is fed by a filling machine through a filling tube of a clipping machine into a tubular casing material, which is stored on the filling tube and which is closed at its front end, referred to the feeding direction of the filling material, by a closing clip. The tubular casing material is pulled-off from the filling tube while being filled. After a predetermined volume of filling material has been filled into said tubular casing material, a displacement device with a first and a second pair of displacement elements forms a plait-like portion of the tubular casing material and the clipping machine places and closes at least one closing clip at the plait-like portion forming the back end of the sausage shaped product by respective closing tools which are reversibly movable towards the plait-like portion. Together with said closing clip closing the back end of said sausage shaped product, a suspension element, like a suspension loop, is attached to said back end of said sausage shaped product, enabling the sausage shaped product to be hung up e.g. on a smoking rod or the like. Afterwards, the sausage-shaped product just produced, is separated from the remaining casing material by a knife or the like of a cutting device of the clipping machine and is transferred to a handling device for the next treatment step or a storage device.
From EP patent 0 330 857, an apparatus for positioning sausages discharged from a clipping machine, on a smoking rod is known. The loop of said sausage just produced, is caught by a catching device and guided over a chain guide including a chain conveyor for positioning the sausages on the smoking rod and a tip or sword for catching the loop and guiding said loop to the chain conveyor. Horizontally aligned piston/cylinder arrangements are positioned adjacent to said sword for supporting the sword. For enabling the loop passing the sword, said pistons are alternately retracted according to the production cycle of the clipping machine.
Moreover, EP patent application 2 156 743 discloses a device for transferring a sausage shaped product comprising a suspension loop, from a clipping machine to a storage device, like a smoking rod. The suspension loop is caught by a catching device and guided over a horizontally arranged bar of said transfer device. At its upper surface, said guide bar having a rectangular cross section, includes longitudinally grooves arranged at its upper surface, into which hooks of a transportation device engage for transporting the sausage-shaped products along said bar towards the smoking rod. Bearing elements engage the side surfaces of said bar for supporting the bar. Said bearing elements comprise screw threads at their surfaces for enabling the loop passing said supporting elements, while being along said bar.
By means of the above mentioned known transfer or discharge devices, sausage-shaped products may be discharged from the discharge end of a clipping machine to a handling or storage device, like a smoking rod. But at least the end of said smoking rod directed towards the clipping machine, has to be positioned at the same height level like the discharge end of the clipping machine. Normally, smoking rods are horizontally arranged for securing a sausage hanging thereon at its position. Hanging up sausages having a length extending the vertical height of the discharge end of the clipping machine relative to the bottom level, is not possible with said known transferring devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a discharge device with which the above mentioned drawbacks can be overcome and which allows discharging sausage-shaped products from the discharge end of a clipping machine to a handling device independent from their length.
The aforesaid object is achieved by the features of independent claim 1. Advantageous configurations are described in claims 2 to 15.